07 August 2024
Sites across ten countries raise the prestigious Green Flag Award after reaching the international quality standard for parks and green spaces.
54 parks and green spaces in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey have reached the high standards required to receive a coveted Green Flag Award in 2024, environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy revealed today.
This is in addition to the 2,227 UK winners that received their awards last month.
Several of the European applicants received the Green Flag Award on their very first attempt - a demonstration of their commitment to, and passion for managing and maintaining great spaces for the visitors they serve.
Carl McClean, International Development Manager for the Green Flag Award, said:
"Congratulations to all our fantastic Green Flag Award winners this year. Parks continue to be so important at the heart of our communities.”
“These awards are testament to all the hard work done by volunteers and staff who work year-round to look after these valuable parks and green spaces."
*Cover image: Máximapark in The Netherlands raise the Green Flag Award for a 4th consecutive year.
First time award winner Senda Mediterraneum in Plaza Mayor - Malaga, Spain
New winners this year include Spain’s Senda Mediterraneum - a public garden that forms the landscape of the Plaza Mayor shopping district in Malaga. It joins four other Spanish award winners in León, Huesca and Pamplona, all of which have been Green Flag Award winners previously.
Juan Rafael Perea Luque, Director of Plaza Mayor, and Javier Mendizábal Director of the McArthurGlen Centre said:
“We are very proud to have obtained the Green Flag Award."
“The Senda Mediterraneum has been an innovative 15-year project with the aim of creating a benchmark of sustainability that promotes self-sufficiency, biodiversity and respect for the environment. This reinforces our commitment to sustainability and is a perfect tool to raise awareness and educate, while encouraging the enjoyment of our visitors."
"This award is a recognition of the great work of the gardening team and congratulates the effort of our organisations in this project."
Eva Groendijk at Gemeente Utrecht, in the Netherlands, which manages Máximapark, said:
“Receiving the Green Flag Award is a great compliment that we are very proud of, because it shows that the collaboration between all the volunteers involved in the park, the various partners of the park and the municipality works!”
Meanwhile, Finland celebrated a record-breaking 21 winners this year, with three new sites raising the flag. The award has been managed and developed in Finland by Viherympäristöliitto - The Finnish Association of Landscape Industries - where it has grown every single year since 2018.
Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos won awards for three sites in Belgium
In Belgium, Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos (Agency for Nature and Forests), which manages 90,000 hectares of nature reserves, forests and parks in Flanders, built on the success of previous years with two new winners. Park Groenenberg and Park van Gaasbeek en Museumtuin on the outskirts of Brussels join existing winner Park Vordenstein near Antwerp, receiving a Green Flag Award for its fifth year in a row.
Green Flag Award winning Büyükdere Atatürk Nursery, restored in 2023 by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey
Further east in Turkey, Istanbul was recognised for the iconic redevelopment of Büyükdere Atatürk Nursery - an historic horticultural nursery spanning 180,000 square meters and dating back to 1928. The project, conceived with the theme of "Returning to the Roots", was completed in 2023 and includes various functions besides local plant species production.
Horticultural education, which is a part of Istanbul's historical and cultural heritage, is showcased alongside public libraries, nurseries, restaurants, education centres, and recreational areas. Additionally, ecological-themed workshops and events take place year-round.
Armağan Selin Köksal Türkkan - Manager of Büyükdere Atatürk Nursery for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said:
“We are honoured that the Büyükdere Atatürk Nursery has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award. Established by the visionary Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, this nursery holds a significant place in Istanbul’s urban heritage and food production culture.”
“This accolade celebrates its enduring legacy and contribution to the city’s green spaces. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Green Flag Award judges for their valuable advice and constructive feedback on the development of the Büyükdere Atatürk Nursery. It has been a pleasure and an honour to connect and learn through such a distinguished programme.”
Stadtpark Nordertedt in Germany retained it's award for a 3rd year
Portugal once again saw a number of celebrations in the North of the country, with a total of eight winners, including the additional Green Heritage Site Accreditation for Jardim do Passeio Alegre, managed by Câmara Municipal do Porto - the only Green Heritage site outside the British Isles. And a new winner in the country was Casa do Corim - a sustainability hub and learning centre with gardens managed by LIPOR - the municipal waste company for the Greater Porto region.
Jonsereds Trädgårdar acts as a training and support centre for those returning to employment
Other winners including Jonsereds Trädgårdar near Gothenburg in Sweden, Stadtpark Norderstedt outside Hamburg in Germany and the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes, France, all achieved the standard through hard work and dedication and deserve to be recognised.
Explore all the winners
The Green Flag Award winners map features accredited parks and green spaces around the globe. Explore the various profiles to learn more about our current winners.
A full list of winners can also be downloaded as a PDF here
Further information
The Green Flag Award® is a non-profit international accreditation programme that recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces. Today the Green Flag Award proudly flies above more than 2,400 places in 18 countries around the world.
The programme is managed under licence from the UK Government by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, and delivered internationally through a network of National Operators in several countries. See the website Network page for more information.
To find out more in general, or apply for an Award, whichever country you are based in; explore the Green Flag Award website: https://www.greenflagaward.org, or alternatively click here for a contact form.
